Marcellus cole



UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

MARCELLUS COLE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THENATIONAL PLUNGER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TESTING-PLUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,246, dated November1, 1898.

Application filed November 19, 1897. Serial No. 659,143. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARCELLUS COLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Testing-Plugs; and Ido herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in testing-plugs by meansof which the outlets of a system of sewer or soil pipes may be closed inorder to apply the proper test to ascertain if the joints andconnections of the system of pipes are tight.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the variousparts which constitute the plug and the relative arrangement of severalplugs for testing purposes, as will be hereinafter more fully described,and particularly set forth in the claims.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an expansible plugcapable of being employed in various positions in testing the tightnessof the joints and connections of a system of sewer or other pipes. Thisobject is attained by means of the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalview of my improved testing-plug in its normal position; Fig. 2, asimilar view showing the stopper expanded; and Fig. 3, a verticalsectional view of the upper portion of a system of subsoil-pipes,showing my improved plug employed for testing purposes.

Referring to the several views, the numeral 1 indicates a hollow shaftprovided with a head 2 and externally screw-threaded its entire lengthto receive an expansible ovoidshaped stopper 3, a sliding head 4, and aninternally-screw-threaded operating-sleeve 5. The sliding head isloosely mounted on the shaft and is provided on its inner side with acollar 6, adapted to fit or set into a correspondingly-shaped recess inthe outer end of the stopper, and on its outer side with a rabbetedilange 7, in the rabbet of which the inner end of the sleeve is adaptedto set. The sleeve is externally provided with a squared surface 8 toreceive the slotted end of a wrench and by means of which'the sleeve isoperated to expand the stopper or restore it to normal position. Thehole through the shaft 1 is square, and in order that sleeve 5 may beefficiently operated to expand the stopper I iit the square hole with arod 9, which is provided with a suitable handle 10, by means of whichthe rod may be rigidly held to prevent the shaft 1 from turning whilethe sleeve is being turned to ex- A pand the stopper or restore it tonormal position.

outer side with a collar 11, which is externally screw-threaded toreceive a closing-cap 12, a packing-ring 13 being inserted between thehead and cap to make a perfectly air or wa-Y with an aperture 15,through which the roundl portion of the holdin g-rod projects. Theaperture in the cap being round, the rod is prevented from accidentaldisplacement, as the square portion of the rod cannot pass through theaperture 15.

The numeral 16 indicates the upper portion of a subsoil-pipe having theusual outlet 17 at the top and provided with the usual sanitary,Ventilating, and closet inlet connections 18 19 20, respectively.

In order to test the tightness of the conn ections, I place one of mytesting-plugs in the outlet end of the pipe, one in the inlet con- 'rhehead 2 of the Shaft is provided on asf nections, and 011e in the pipethroughthe sanitary connection. The stopper of each of these plugs isexpanded by turning the sleeve with the wrench while the rod 9 is heldby its handle. As the sleeve is turned the sliding head is forcedinwardly, compressing the stopper longitudinally, and thereby expandingit laterally, or, in other words, increasing-e Y its diameter, so as totightly fit and seal the pipe or connection at the point of location.

In using the plug in the Ventilating connection I change its characterto a certain extent by removing the closing-cap 12 and the reducing-cap14, and after the stopper has been sufciently expanded to completely andrco perfectly close the connection in which it is situated I remove theholding-rod, thus leaving an unobstructed passage throughthe plug forthe purpose to be hereinafter explained. The sleeve used on this plug issomewhat shorter than those ordinarily used, as it is necessary to leavea sufficient portion of the out-er end of the shaft projecting to enablea suitable gage 2l to be screwed thereon. The supply-pipe of the gage isprovided with a suitable val ve 22, by means of which the supply of airor water may be cut off when desired. To the end of the gage supply-pipeis attached a hose 23, which leads to a suitable pump 2%.

To test the system, air or water is pumped through the plug 19 into thepipe under the required pressure.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a testing-plug for soil and other pipes, the combination of anexternally screwthreaded hollow shaft provided with a perforated head,adapted to be closed by a cap, a loosely-moun ted head adapted to moveupon the hollow shaft, an expansible stopper situated between the twoheads, an operatingsleeve, a square holding-rod, and means for retainingthe rod in position whereby the sleeve may be operated to expand thestopper.

2. In a testing-plug for soil and other pipes, the combination of theexternally screwthreaded hollow shaft provided with a perforatedstationary head having an outerscrewthreaded collar, an expansiblestopper mounted on said shaft, a sliding head looselymounted on theshaft and having a collar adapted to fit into a corresponding recessinthe outer end of the stopper,an internally-screw-threadedoperating-sleeve also mounted ou the shaft, a partially-squared rodseated in the hollow shaft and provided with a holding-handle, aclosing-cap seated on the collar of the stationary head and areducing-cap seated on the outer end of the operating-sleeve,substantially as set forth.

3. In testing a system of piping, the combination with suitable meansfor closing the outlet, inlet, and sanitary connections and anexpansible plug situated in the Ventilating connection, said plugcomprising an externally-screw-threaded hollow shaft provided with aperforated head andaloosely-mounted head, an expansible stopper betweenthe two heads, and an internally-screw-threaded operating-sleeve on saidshaft, of a pump attached to the outer end of said plug, and apressure-gage interposed between said pump and plug.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in` the presence of twowitnesses.

MARCELLUS COLE.

Witnesses:

J. R. NOTTINGHAM, THOMAS J. STALEY.

